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Our Lady of Peace Student Council officers sit among the 400-plus Easter baskets collected for a Friends of the Poor program, before helping load them in waiting vehicles in the school parking lot. From left, Nick Genco, president; Drew Noto, treasurer; Megan Marion, recording secretary; Norman Kanavy, vice president and Emmy Bormes, corresponding secretary, all eighth grade students.

More than 400 Easter baskets were collected by students and their families at Our Lady of Peace School, to be distributed to area children in need through Friends of the Poor.

CLARKS GREEN — With fresh white snow covering the trees and ground outside Our Lady of Peace School (OLP), and a spirit of giving filling the walls inside, one may have thought on the morning of Wednesday, April 1 that it was Christmastime, rather than the end of Lent.

But anyone who thinks the “Christmas spirit” is reserved for one holiday in December may want to reconsider, taking a look at the 400-plus Easter baskets collected by the OLP Student Council for the Friends of the Poor Easter Basket Giveaway.

Student Council President Nick Genco said he enjoyed helping collect the baskets from the student body and OLP families who donated, and he believes it to be a worthy cause.

“These kids aren’t getting a big basket full of candy, because they can’t afford it,” said the eighth grader. “So it was good that we could do this.”

Student Council Vice President Norman Kanavy agreed. “It’s always good to give back to the community for the people who are less fortunate than you are,” he said.

“I think it will mean a lot to them, because if we didn’t do this, they might not even get an Easter basket,” said Meghan Marion, Student Council recording secretary.

Ann Tomaszewski, who has four children enrolled at OLP, and Julie Pritchyk, who has three kids attending the school, are co-chairs of the Easter basket program, now in its third year. The collection is organized by the 21-member student council, which includes class representatives in fourth through eighth grades. All students, their families and faculty members, however, are invited to participate.

Then, parents volunteer to deliver the baskets to Friends of the Poor in Scranton, which will add them to those donated by other community organizations and individuals. From there, they are distributed to area families who are in need.

Tomaszewski and Pritchyk said the program is beneficial not only to the children who will receive the Easter baskets, but those who donated them, as it helps re-enforce lessons about generosity and an awareness of community needs.

Student Council Corresponding Secretary Emmy Bormes took it a step further. “It shows you not to take what you have for granted and to appreciate what you’ve been given,” she said.